Bothwell Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bothwell Castle |
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| Bothwell, South Lanarkshire, Scotland grid reference NS688593 |
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South-east tower of the castle
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 Bothwell Castle
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| Coordinates | 55°48′34″N 4°05′42″W / 55.8094549°N 4.0950432°W |
| Type | Castle of enceinte |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Historic Environment Scotland |
| Controlled by | De Moravia family England Earl of Douglas Earl of Angus |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Built | Begun 13th century |
| Built by | Walter de Moravia |
| Materials | Coursed red sandstone rubble |
Bothwell Castle is a big medieval (or Middle Ages) castle in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It sits on a high, steep bank next to the River Clyde, between Bothwell and Uddingston. This spot was important because it guarded a crossing point on the river.
Building the castle started in the 13th century. It was built by the family who would later become Clan Murray. Bothwell Castle played a very important part in Scotland's Wars of Independence. During these wars, the castle was captured and recaptured many times.
The castle has a huge round tower called a donjon. This tower was built in the 13th century. However, the castle was badly damaged during several sieges (when an army surrounds a castle to try and capture it). It was rebuilt in the early 15th century and made bigger. But by the 1700s, people stopped using it.
Today, Bothwell Castle is a ruin. It has a rectangular shape. You can still see parts of the donjon on the west side. The Great Hall, a large main room, is on the east side. Long curtain walls surround the courtyard. There are also round towers at the south-east and south-west corners. An expert named William Douglas Simpson said Bothwell Castle was one of the most important buildings from the Middle Ages in Scotland.
Contents
History of Bothwell Castle
Early Owners and Building the Castle
In the mid-1100s, King David I gave the land of Bothwell to a man named David Olifard. Later, the land went to his family. By 1252, it belonged to Walter of Moray. He started building the castle.
However, when the Wars of Scottish Independence began in 1296, the castle was not finished. Only the main donjon (the big round tower), the prison tower, and a short wall connecting them were ready. The other parts of the castle probably had wooden fences for protection.
Bothwell Castle During the Wars of Independence
When King Edward I of England invaded Scotland, his army took Bothwell Castle. At this time, William Moray of Bothwell owned the castle. The English soldiers guarding the castle were surrounded by the Scots for 14 months (1298–1299). Finally, the English gave up.
King Edward I came back in 1301. He captured the castle again with a huge army of 6,800 men. He even used special siege engines (machines to attack castles). Bothwell Castle then became the main base for Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, who was Edward's leader in Scotland. The English held the castle for several years.
After Robert the Bruce won the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, some English nobles hid in Bothwell Castle. But the castle's leader, Sir Walter FitzGilbert, gave the castle to the Scottish army. Because of this, he was given the land of Cadzow. His family later became the powerful Clan Hamilton. After the Scots took the castle, they "slighted" it. This means they damaged it on purpose so the English could not use it again.
In 1336, the English returned with King Edward III. The English king had the castle fixed up and made it his main base in Scotland again. But the next year, Sir Andrew Murray recaptured the castle. He was the rightful owner and used siege engines again. After his victory, he "slighted" the castle once more. He pulled down the west side of the donjon, letting it fall into the River Clyde. This made sure the enemy could not use it again. The castle remained ruined until the 1360s.
The Douglas Family Takes Over
In 1362, Joan Moray of Bothwell, who inherited the castle, married Archibald Douglas. He was known as "the Grim." He started rebuilding Bothwell Castle. He fixed the donjon and finished the walls. His son, Archibald, the 4th Earl, continued the work.
By 1424, they had built the Great Hall and a chapel next to it. They also added towers at the north-east and south-east corners. Walls connected these parts to the donjon, creating a closed courtyard.
The "Black" Douglas family lost their lands in 1455, and the castle went back to the king. King James III gave Bothwell to different lords, but they also lost it. In 1488, Bothwell was given to Patrick Hepburn. He became the first Earl of Bothwell. However, Hepburn did not keep Bothwell Castle for long. He traded it with Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus, known as "Bell-the-Cat," for another castle.
So, Bothwell Castle went back to the Douglas family. It was passed down through the Earls of Angus and Marquesses of Douglas. Later, it went to the Earls of Forfar. Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Forfar, started building a new house nearby. He even took stones from the castle's north-east tower to use for his new house. (His house was later taken down in 1926).
After the 2nd Earl of Forfar died in 1715, the castle went back to the main Douglas family line. In 1935, the 13th Earl of Home gave Bothwell Castle to the care of the state. Today, Historic Environment Scotland looks after it. It is a scheduled monument, which means it is a very important historical site. The castle was open to visitors until 2020 when it closed for safety reasons.
Castle Design
Bothwell Castle was never fully built to its first plan. But its design is like other strong castles from that time. It has a round keep (or donjon), similar to castles like Coucy in France.
The keep is now a ruin. But it was once about 82 feet (25 meters) high. It was also about 62 feet (19 meters) wide. Its walls were very thick, about 15 feet (4.5 meters) thick! Later, even thicker walls and a strong gatehouse were added. This made Bothwell Castle known as "one of the most important military strongholds in Scotland."
